Atlantic Alliance/ Alliance Atlantique
The Atlantic Alliance was a political party that existed from 2010-2013. The party was a regionalist party, created to promote the interests of Atlantic Canada, that nevertheless, managed to represent a wide swath of Canadian provinces. The Atlantic Alliance formed government in 2012, after orchestrating a confidence vote in which the governing IPP (Ideological-Pragmatist Party) voted themselves out of office.The party briefly governed under the drunken leadership of international war criminal Rt. Hon. Alexander Mulally who quickly resigned in favour of the Rt. Hon. Kelden Formosa. The Atlantic Alliance lost government in the 2012 election to the Wise & Sophisticated Party. This was largely due to a splintering of the Atlantic Alliance into a rump caucus representing a small portion of Atlantic Canada and a few holdout riding's in central Canada and into a separate movement of rural Canadians represented by the Farmers' Alliance of Canada. The Rt. Hon. Kelden Formosa led the Farmer's Alliance into a coalition with the True North Party and briefly formed Government in 2013. Founding Members (Atlantic Alliance 2012): Leader: Alexander Mullaly - Random-Burin-St. George's Deputy Leader: Michael Kelly - St. John's East House Leader: Sabrina Sotiriu - Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe Opposition Whip: Doug Chiasson - Cape Breton-Canso Tyler Barker - Beausejour, Emma Burzotta - South Shore–St. Margaret's, Brett Caven - Central Nova, Kelsie Corey - Tobique-Mactaquac, Isaac Corey - Fredericton, PJ Crosby - Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Sally Dimachki - Madawaska-Restigouche, Kelden Formosa - Cumberland–Colchester–Musquodoboit Valley, Stephanie Fousas - Malpequ, Catherine Gauthier - Sydnesy-Victoria, Stefanie Haefele - Avalon, Stephanie Keron - West Nova, Warren Lambie - Labrador, Kyle Merhai - Thornhill, Corey Michaels - Toronto Centre, Hadyn Place - Calgary, West Alex Retfalvi - Fort McMurray, Maxime Robert - Beauce, Clare Schulte-Albert - Oshawa 2012 Policy: The Atlantic Alliance ran on a 12 Step self-help platform modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. Highlights - The first step of the Atlantic Alliance (AA) is admitting Canada has a problem, and this problem is the government’s disrespect for Canadian culture and values; the neglect shown to its regions; and the poor fiscal management that has led to harsh economic conditions. a. Canada must return to the traditional values of the six founding peoples (Aboriginal peoples, Acadian, English, French, Irish, and Scottish) — the longest standing established Canadian cultures. - The government must protect the business and wealth of Canadians, and as such should encourage the purchase of Canadian-made products, while at the same time preventing an influx of cheaply made sub par foreign products. The Atlantic Alliance will introduce consumer tax-credits on Canadian-produced alcohols and goods, and introduce a value added tax on foreign-produced alcohols and goods. - The Atlantic Alliance respects the natural beauty of Canada. Under an AA Government, Canadians would see the expansion of protected National Parks as well as the addition of new National Parks, so that Canadians may have a better chance to experience Canada’s beauty, now and in the future. a. Rights to fishing, trapping, hunting, and sealing would be increased to help control animal populations and meet needed quotas on yearly culling. - In order to better defend Canadians, the Atlantic Alliance will increase the size and infrastructure of the Royal Canadian Navy. Canada has the largest coastline and territorial waters in the world, and as such, Canadians deserve a navy to match it. In accordance with a strong defence policy, all Navy installations not within 100km of the coast would be relocated closer to the ocean. a. An AA government would transfer the responsibility of policing, patrolling, and maintenance of sovereign territorial waters from Fisheries and Oceans and the RCMP to National Defence. - Canada has become a global super power in the past decade; it encompasses the largest land and sea territory in the world and has territories, protectorates, and colonies overseas. Continuing in this trend, the Atlantic Alliance would enter into peaceful negotiations to have the Turks and Caicos Islands, Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, as well as the island territory of Greenland enter into the Dominion of Canada. - In efforts to promote the established Canadian dominion over the Arctic territory, the Atlantic Alliance will bolster the infrastructure of the region by creating networks of lighthouses along the coastlines. And to infuse economic stability into all the ports of Canada from coast to coast to coast, we will establish networks of oil rigs, refineries, mines, and foundries - One of Canada’s major issues that needs recognition, and dealing with, is supporting Canada’s unemployed. a. An AA Government will do so practically by investing in infrastructure with respect to EI offices, such as the addition of comfortable seating arrangements, blanket-wear, and aesthetically pleasing artwork, including portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, topographic maps of Canada, and reproductions of The Group of Seven, for the purposes of enhancing the experience of the average EI user. Other EI office infrastructure to be invested in will include medical practices with active physicians on-site where EI users will be assisted with the stressful transition from the work environment to the EI condition, and assessment of disability pensions. b. The Atlantic Alliance will be encouraging the development and expansion of small businesses all throughout Canada by increasing the ACOA budget. c. To assist in the feeding the homeless we will also allow the options of the harvesting of road kill and hunting and trapping of all nuisance game and fowl such as crows, pigeons, and gulls, excepting all species covered by the Species at Risk Act. - The Atlantic Alliance acknowledges that there are many outdated policies and laws still residing in Canada that cause nothing but waste and red tape for the typical tax-paying Canadian, who hates waste and red tape. In response to this, the first step taken in this direction will start with the restructuring and partial repealing of the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act. - In the areas of public safety and crime prevention, AA advises the legislative implementation of the long-time Maritime tradition of leaving one’s residential/automotive doors unlocked to promote a feeling of mutual trust amongst neighbours and communities. We also acknowledge piracy problems as a legitimate threat to public safety and friendly waters. An AA Government will also introduce a 100% subsidy for collision mitigating devices on cars to protect drivers and passengers from moose/large animals in affected regions in which they are a threat. - An AA Government would provide all Canadians with a child tax credit, for physical activities such as swimming, diving, highland dancing lessons, and other such bodily and culturally-stimulating endeavours. - In order to better honour and respect the history and culture of Canada, and to better allow all Canadians to know about the founding of Canada, an AA government will officially and publicly recognize the Atlantic nation. a. Along with this, services for translation and interpretation would be provided between Atlantic and non-Atlantic Canadians for Chiac French and Cape Breton / Newfoundland English. Bill C-224: In 2012, the Atlantic Alliance tabled bill C-224, An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation). Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: 1. Subsection 3(2) of the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (f), by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (g) and by adding the following after paragraph (g): (h) the importation of wine, liqueurs, spirits, and beer from a province by an individual, if the individual brings the wine, liqueurs, spirits, and beer or causes it to be brought into another province, in quantities and as permitted by the laws of the latter province, for his or her personal consumption, and not for resale or other commercial use. 2. Subsection 7(2) of the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act is to be struck down and replaced with the following paragraph: (2) All forfeited alcohols obtained by the state in the manner in which this Act describes shall be property of the state and returned to their province of origin to be used in a manner of choosing of said province, as established by the provincial law of the day. The value of the materials obtained in this manner will not count towards the monetary value of equalization payments between the federal and provincial governments, nor be considered in any formula by which federal and provincial transfers are calculated. 2012 Shadow Cabinet: * Leader: Hon. Alexander Mullaly, P.C. * Deputy Leader: Michael Kelly * Leader in the House: Hon. Sabrina Sotiriu, P.C. * Opposition Whip: Hon. Doug Chiasson, P.C. Portfolios: * Chief Troll and Critic for Ideology: Hon. Tyler Barker P.C. * Justice: Hon. Patricia-Joy Crosby, P.C. * Finance: Hon. Corey Michaels, P.C. * Defence and Veterans Affairs: Maxime Robert * Fisheries and Oceans: Kelsie Corey * ACOA & Atlantic Gateway: Stephanie Keron * Intergovernmental Affairs: Brett Caven * National Revenue and Treasury Board: Warren Lambie * Agriculture and Agri-Food: Stephanie Haefele * Immigration: Hon. Philippe Chartrand, P.C. * Natural Resources and Environment: Hadyn Place * HRSDC: Kelden Formosa * Labour: Stephanie Henderson * Public Safety: Hon. Nasha Brownridge, P.C. * Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development: Kyle Merhai * Multiculturalism: Matika Lauzon * Industry and Small Business: Alex Retfalvi * Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Hon. Clare Schulte-Albert, P.C. * Franco-Affairs: Sally Dimachki * Transport: Hon. Doug Chiasson, P.C. * Heritage and Sport: Hon. Sabrina Sotiriu, P.C. Honourable Members: * Emma Burzotta * Catherine Gauthier * Isaac Corey * Nikki Chapman * Jean-Phillipe Vinette 2013 Policy: The Atlantic Alliance ran on a revised 12 step self help platform in 2013. Highlights The Atlantic Alliance has faced many challenges in the past year. The collapse of the AA Government and the ensuing fragmentation of the party made it clear that the “12 Step Program” that the Atlantic Alliance was elected on in 2011 was simply not enough. The first action in any 12 step program is submitting to a higher power. The Atlantic Alliance failed to realize that in Canada there is no higher power than the Canadian people. We understand this mistake and recognize that the Canadian people need a government that understands the role that taxpayers need it to play, domestically and internationally, to get our country back on the wagon. As a first step towards bringing Canadian people back into the AA fold, we present here a “12 Step Program for 2013”, subject to amendment and revision at the party’s policy convention in November 2012. 1) We consulted with Canadians and found that the one thing they remember the most from the AA government was our aggressive program to replace the furniture and artwork in Service Canada centres with modestly priced, comfortable, couches and aesthetically pleasing images of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We have been privileged to enjoy Her Majesty’s reign for 60 years, 60 years filled with prosperity and growth. Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast are excited to help Her Majesty celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. Simply put, Canada needs a chain of corporate sponsored RAPs. A second AA Government will build a chain of Royal Amusement Parks (RAPs). The RAPS will celebrate Her Majesty’s reign and the great contribution that our monarchy has made to our society. RAPs will be built in every province and territory, with additional RAPs being constructed in the Atlantic Provinces. The first RAPs will be built in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Quebec, Quebec, and Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia. The second phase will include a RAP in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where additional barbeque security will be provided. The third phase will be to establish a RAP in Tuvalu that will host CSIS employed armed “Canadian tourists”. RAPs will create jobs, increase tourism, and promote awareness of Canada’s heritage, while constructing a significant revenue multiplier in the provinces. 2) An AA Government will strengthen Arctic Sovereignty and traditional Canadian entrepreneurship. We will instruct the Governor General, acting in right of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to issue letters of marquee and reprisal, authorizing persons (known as privateers, the first to be Captain Barrett) to capture foreign vessels in the Arctic and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale. Letters of marquee and reprisal will also be issued on a limited basis for Newfoundland fishers competing with foreign factory boats. All trespassing vessels will be eligible for these Canadian entrepreneurs to harvest. In keeping with this Atlantic entrepreneurial spirit, an AA government will decriminalize the removal of scrap copper and aluminum from construction sites. As all Canadians learn from their mothers, single-male parent or state appointed guardian, if you leave your stuff lying around, somebody is bound to pick it up. 3) An AA Government will invest in the creation, breeding and maintenance of bioluminescent polar bears to increase safety in coastal areas. They will serve as an in-sea guiding system for ships and other night craft, while also providing aesthetically pleasing lighting for night drivers in rural areas. This will cut down on hunting accidents where polar bears are shot and killed because of the “I didn’t know that it was a polar bear” argument. It is a glowing bear. No excuses. 4) Canada is facing a demographic crisis. Simply put, Canada needs more hands on deck. The citizenship and immigration policies of our great nation have long been derided as convoluted and discriminatory. A second AA Government will do away with all the red tape. We will institute a two tier immigration system. Prospective citizens will be separated into those who have been “screeched in” and those who have not. Upon the “screeching” ceremony and the recitation of legally binding Newfoundland doggerel prose, an individual will be declared to be “Screeched in” and will be provided with a modestly priced, but aesthetically attractive, certificate to this effect. Those individuals who eschew the consumption of alcoholic beverages or are minors shall be provided with comparable volumes of cod liver oil. 5) Atlantic Canada is, proportionally speaking, facing an even larger demographic crisis than Canada. Atlantic Canada is a distinct region within the Canadian federation and the place where Canadian federalism began. To recognize and preserve this heritage, an AA government will levy an “Atlantic Sales Tax” (AST) on every bottle of Alexander Keith’s (t) and Moosehead (t) sold outside of the Atlantic Region. Furthermore, the AST will be levied on every sale of “food of sea origin” including fish and chips, Ganong chocolates, McCain’s French fries and on any potato or potato product with a Prince Edward Island origin. 6) Despite our investments to expanding and arming Canada’s coast guard, it is clear that Canada needs to do more in its coastal waters. Canada needs to invest in COPPS. An Atlantic Alliance government will invest in a Canadian Oceanic Planning and Protection System (COPPS). COPPS will chart the Atlantic and Pacific coastal regions to provide fishers with the appropriate data on the migration patterns of fish and harvestable ocean mammals. COPPS will also be used to hunt for the Leviathan and the Kraken. They can be either a threat to our coasts or important allies in the protection of our sovereign waters. 7) An AA Government will keep Canadian jobs in Canada. Companies that outsource jobs, ignoring the great mass of unemployed maritimers, will pay an Atlantic Employment Premium (AEP). The scales of justice reward as well as punish. Companies that employ more Canadians than necessary will receive an unspecified, generous, tax credit. 8) An AA Government recognizes the sacred rights of all of Canada’s provinces. We will stimulate the revenue of provincial coffers by removing out-dated laws and regulations regarding inter-provincial trade. We will introduce legislation to remove the prohibitions against the inter provincial export and import of spirits and beer. 9) Despite our improvements to Employment Insurance, our investments in having Government services made available in Atlantic dialects of English and French nationwide, our investments in providing Atlantic Canadians with collision mitigating devices for vehicles used on rural roads and our investments in harvesting road kill for the unemployed, Atlantic Canadians are still out of work. A second AA Government will create a Miners Exchange Program (MEP). Simply put, miners and natural resource workers, including fishers and foresters, will be connected with vacant jobs in other provinces during the Atlantic “off-season.” If a maritimer cannot find work, the AA Government will find it for him or her! An AA government will also implement the birthright of EI for all Atlantic Canadians. These efforts will build on our investments in creating networks of lighthouses along the coastlines, as well as networks of oilrigs, refineries, mines, and foundries. 10) An AA Government stands firm against the clear and present threat that Tuvalu demonstrates to our domestic security and our national identity. An AA Government will not compromise when it comes to Tuvalu. Using the COPPS system, we will make battle with Tuvalu at the first opportunity. 11) An AA Government will supplement its support of COPPS in coastal areas by a naval build-up program. Lunenburg will be commissioned to construct a fleet of Bluenose vessels. The resultant bluenose fleet will promote interprovincial trade, tourism, and jobs. The construction and operation of the Bluenose fleet will also serve to keep Canadians in touch with their Atlantic seafaring roots. 12) Our program only has 11 steps, because education is a provincial responsibility. An AA Government will distribute copies of Sct 91 & 92 of the Canadian Constitution to all Federal politicians.